Residents Angry Over Ravinia's Plan To Improve Wireless Reception
By Jim Bochnowski in News on Apr 30, 2015 8:25PM
Right now, Ravinia is ripping apart the very fabric of the community of Highland Park, Illinois.
As the Chicago Tribune explains, while all you yuppies were having a pleasant afternoon at Ravinia watching Lyle Lovett and Garrison Keillor while Instagramming pictures of yourselves and your packed picnic lunch, you were actually causing a public nuisance. According to Highland Park planning division manager Linda Sloan, last year citizens began making complaints that during heavily attended concerts at Ravinia, their ability to fine cellphone reception and connection were diminished.
It should be noted that, all sarcasm aside, this could in fact constitute a public safety threat. Highland Park Police Chief Paul Shafer brings up a valid point that as less people use land lines and more people use cellphones instead, this could lead to "public safety concerns" if people were trying to make a call relating to a medical emergency.
The proposed solution— a wireless equipment building situated in Ravinia's west meadow to boost cell phone reception in the area. Sounds pretty reasonable, right? Not all residents agree, though. Some would argue that this proposed building is a direct challenge to the integrity of Highland Park itself. Like attorney Brett Tolpin, who said at a plan commission meeting Tuesday night that "as someone who grew up here, I take this significant adverse impact to the land to heart." Tolpin added that "the building would be "disparaging to the legacy of what Ravinia is and what it wants to be." Herb Abrams, Highland Park resident and also an attorney, shared his frustration when he stated "Does that diminish our property values? Of course it does. Does that diminish our ability to sleep with our windows open? Of course it does."
Resident concerns aside, some officials wonder if the building is even necessary. Highland Park Planning Commission Chairman Adam Stolberg said, "I know Ravinia wants to get this in on time before the season starts, but we certainly don't have a room full of people complaining that they don't have cellphone service." For the sake of the sacred property values in Highland Park, let's hope he's right.